Rapid-fire pistol.



- No. 743,002., 7 PATENTBD NOV. 3, 1903.

W. B. KNOBLE.

RAPID FIRE PISTOL.

APPLICATION TILED DEO. 12, 1902.

no menu. 3 Sunni-sum 2.

lNVElf/TOH Wlz'arw MZaZZe A TTORNE YS.

No. 743,002. .PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903 I W. B. KNOBLE.

RAPID FIRE PISTOL. APPLIGATION rILnD D110. 12, 1902. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

to the barrel.

siren STATES Patented November 3,-1903.

RAPID-FIRE PISTOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,002, dated November 3, 1903. Application filed December 12, 1902. SerialNo.-134,925. (No model.)

' Tortll it'll/07m it HMLZ/COHCOFTL.

for the next shot,

Be it known "that I, WILLIAM B. KNOBLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented a new and Im proved Rapid-Fire Pistol, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates-to rapid-fire pistols or automatic self-loading pistols, and particularly to that class of recoil-operated arms in which the barrel and breech-block are movable together in a longitudinal direction upon the frame or receiver and in which when the barrel is in its forward position and the breech is closed the breech-block .is firmly locked Upon firing, the barrel and breech-block recoil together to the rear for a short distance, whereupon the recoil of the barrel is stopped by suitable abutmentsf The breech-block during its rearward movement. becomes unlocked from the barrel, and the impetus it has acquired through-the rea'nd ejecting the fired shell, and causing the recoil or recupcrative spring to be compressed. fully to'the rear, a cartridge from the magazine iu the handle now rises in' front of it. The recuperative spring impels the breech? block forward, shoving'the cartridge into the barrel, and during the'final movement locks the breech-block to the barrel again ready So far this pistol is the same in principle as several other recoil-operated arms. It, however, dilfers greatly in the methods by which't-he several movements are accomplished, in certain mechanical features, and in important. structural points.

Foremost among the improvements are the movement and. operation of the breech-block and the manner of locking it to'the barrel; 'next, the safety-catch for the hammer, which isimmediately above the firing-pin and which can be quickly depressed by the finger tolocking engagement with the nose of the hammer when the latter is in half-cocked position to hold it temporarily, yet securely, in such position, said safetymatch being normally held outof possible contact with the hammer by'a suitable spring,and the moment the hammer is carried from a half-cocked to a The breech-block having traversed,

perspective View of the 'sear.

f n'lly-co ck'ed position the safety-catch immediately returns to' its upper position out of the path of the hammer. Finally, my'impro vement consists in the mechanism for catching and holding the hammer in acocked positionand for releasing it to fire, which mechanism com prises practically three pieces nly-a sear, a sear-spring, and a trigger.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

-Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the frame or receiver, the breech-' block and the handle, and a portiouof the barrel and magazine in the handle, the breechblock being shown" closed and the hammer fully cocked. Fig. 215 a view similar to Fig. 1, the breech block being, however, shown open and at the limit of its rearward'th'row. Fig. 3 is a transverse-section taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the frame and a portion of the barrel anda side elevation of the breech-block raised to its full extent and in the act of returning to its closed position, Fig. 5 is aplan view of the frame and handle portion'of the pistol, the breech-block being closed. Fig. 6 is aside elevation of the frame orreceiverand a portionof the barrel, the breech-block being closed and the safetycatch shown aslocking-the hammer at halfcock or in safety position. I Fig. 7 is a detail Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the complete pistol, the breechblock being closed and the hammer locked at safety by the safety-catch. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through a portion of the frame and barrel, the section being taken practically on the line 9 f Fig. 8; and Figs.

10 and 11 are transverse sections taken both on the line 1111 of Fig. 8. In Fig. 10 the breech-block is .out from the frame and the latch for the barrel is shown locking'the barrel in its'rearward, or recoiled position, and

in Fig. 11 the breech-block has been closed,

and the latch is carried thereby out of locking engagement with the barrel.

- will be forced upward in the chamber of the barrel extension, the projectile facing and being in longitudinal alinernent with the breech ofthe barrel, so that at the forward return movement of the breech-block D the said upper cartridge will be carried thereby into the breech of the barrel for firing, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. C represents the trigger-guard, and Q the trigger, E the scar, and E the extractor, carried by the breechblock D, and E the safety-catch for the hammer E The barrel extension A is tubular where the barrel fits therein, but rearward of the tubular portion is open at the top and at the bottom, and the said tubular portion of the barrel extension is provided with a recess 10 to receive the head 11 of the extractor E, the body of which extractor is in the form of a spring of suitable strength secured at its rear end in a recess 12, made longitudinally in the upper forward portion of the breechblock, as is particularly shown in Fig. 1, and the said head of the extractor when the breechblock is in closed position engages with the rim of the cartridge-shell within the barrel. When an empty cartridge iscxtracted by the rearward movement of the breech-block, it is ejected through the upper opening in the barrel extension, then uncovered, througlr the medium of the spring in the magazine acting upon the uppermost cartridge to force said cartridge in alinetneut with the barrel. The breech-block is provided with the usual spring-controlled firing-pin 13, extending from end to end, as is shown in- Figs. 1 and 2.

A cushion let is located in the under portion of the barrel A where it connects with the extension A to relieve the shock when the barrel is in its recoil position or is forced backward against the frame. The barrel A is screwed into the extension A, which is similar in its functions to the receiver of an ordinary repeating rifle. The barrel extension A is provided with longitudinal grooves or ways 15 upon each outer side near its lower edge, as is shown particularly in Figs. 3, 10, and 11, and grooves or ways 16 are cut longitudinally in the inner side portions of the frame or receiver 15 near the top, extending over a connecting-block 17 at the forward end of the frame or'receiver B, which block has a horizontal slot therein connecting with the frame-chamber to receive the head of the sear as will be hereinafter described.

In the upper edge of one side of the frame B a slot 18 is made, as is'shown in Fig. 8, to receive a lower lug 19 at the forward end of 'a spring-latch 20, which latch is secured at its rear end to the outer surface of the barrel extension A. The lug 19 is opposite an outer groove 15 in the barrel extension for the purpose of locking the barrel in rearward or recoil position as the breech-block moves rearward to open position, and in order that the barrel mayhe released from such locking engagementand be moved forward by the breech-block on its return a second lug 21 is located above the log 19, having a rearwardlybeveled inner edge, as is shown in Fig. 9, and

this upper lug 21 of the spring-latch projects within the barrel extension A through an opening 22. The spring-latch 20 is forced outward to release the barrel bythe forward and seatingmovement of the breech-block. The barrel extension has guided and sliding movement upon the frame, which is produced by fitting the inner upper side portions of the frame in the outer grooves or ways 15 in the barrel extension and fitting the lower outer portions of the barrel-sections in the inner grooves 16 in the frame, .as is also shown in Figs. 3, 10, and 11. t

The barrel extension A is also provided with longitudinal grooves 23 in its inner side faces,which grooves 23 are adapted to receive guide-lugs 24, extending from the side faces of the breech-block D at the lower portion of its forward end, and the under forward portion of the breech-block is more or less outwardly curved, as is shown'at 25 in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, in order that in its return or forward movement it may readily pass the upper end of the magazine C When the breech-block is closed or seated,its upper portion is close to and closes the upper end of the magazine 0 as is shown in Fig. 1, and a heel 26 is formed at the lower rear portion of the breech-block having an inclined forward edge, whichinclined portion of the heel bears against the upper rear surface of the magazine when the breech-block is closed, as is also shown in Fig. 1.

At a sufficient distance to the rear of the breech of the barrel A the barrel extension A has opposing vertical slots or recesses 27 cut or otherwise produced in its upper-edges, adapted when the breech-block is closed to receive locking-lugs 28, extending opposite each other one from each side of the breechblock, preferably between its center and rear end, and usually the upper surfaces of the locking-lugs are flush with the upper face of the breech-block. In the closed position of the breech-blockD these locking-lugs 28 drop down into the slots or recesses 27 in the extension A from the barrel A, thus locking the barrel extension to the breech-block and compelling the two to move together under the shock of the recoil a distance equal to ends to the frame and at theirupper forwardends to the rear end of the breech-block,

locked to the barrel extensi'oxnsaid extension tension.

Gand is suitably secured at its lower end.

as is shown in Fig.1. The breech-block havupper endsof the action-levers moving in the into the proper recesses or slots 27 in the bartension. -When the brecch block is thus is held firmly'in its forward position until a shot is fired; but this locking ,connection does not take place until the breech-block D has forced a cartridge into the breech'of the barrel and has also carried the barrel extension and'barrcl to their full forward position.

Immediately at the rear of the locking-lugs 28 of the breech-block D two action-levers 29 are hinged or pivoted, one at each side of the breech-block, which levers extend downward and rearw rd at each side ofsthe hammer'E and the/i lower ends are .pivotedat 30 in the rear/of the frame i3 just above the handle 0, At the moment of firing, when the barrel with its breech-block'locked to it recoils a short distance to the rear,.these action-levers 29, being pivoted at, their lower thrust upward the rear end of the-breechblock and lift the locking-lugs 28 from their slots 27 in the barrel extension, thus Uri} locking the breech-block from thebarrel. The breech-block having received asufficient impetus from the recoil now traverses to the rear to the limit of its travel, its forward end being guided by the front lugs 24, moving along the inner grooves 23 in the barrel ex- During the rearward movement of the breech-block the block impinges upon the hammer E which is pivoted in the-handle-section of. the frame B between the action-levers 29 and upon the same pivot-pin 30, and sets the hammer at full cockpA cradle 31, attached to the upper end of a recuperative or recoil spring 32, receives and bears againstthe' lower ends ofthe action-1evers 29, as is shown particularly in*Fig. 2, which spring extends down into the handle The recnperative or recoil spring'32 is pref erably just to the rear otft-he action-spring 33 for the. hammer E which latter spring is also secured at its lower end in the handle,

ing reached the limit of it's travel to the rear is now thrust forward by the action-levers through the medium of the recuperative spring 32. In the course of its forward travel the breech-block pushes the topmost cartridge from the magazine into the barrel and cioses the breech, ashas' been stated. The

are of a circle now lower the rear end of the breech-block D, bringing the locking-lugs rel extension A, thus-locking the breechblock to the barrel, and the arm is again ready to fire.

A safety-catch E is pivoted to the rear end firing-pin 13, and said safety-catch is mov-- ablein avertical plane. Normnllythe safetycatch is held in an upper position by a'spring 3t,secured upon the upper face of the breechblock and extending over the forward upper end portion of the safety-catch, as is When the safety-catch is depressed by the finger, the-hammer may be lowered to a halfcocked position, whereupon'the toe 35 will be received in a notch 30in the nose of the hammer, effectually preventing the hammer from moving forward, as is shown in Fig. 6.' When the hammer is cooked, the toe of the safetycatch is released, the safety-catch returns to its upper position, and thehammer is free when it falls to strike the firing-pin13.

The mechanism for catching and holding the hammer in a cocked position and for releasing it to fire consists of three pieces onlya s'earE, a sear-spring 37, and a trigger C -The' sear is'introdu-ced into -'the frame B through aside opening 38, covered by a suitably-bolted plate 38, as .is shown in Figs. 3 and. 8,, which opening is of greater; length than the length of the sear. The sear, which .is in a measure supported throughout the major portion of its length by the bottomwall of the opening- 38, is in the form of a long plate or. flat bar 39, having its rear end bent at right angles to the body, forming a locking-arm 40, which when the sear is in position in the frame extends across the frame-chamber back of the magazine and in front of the hammer-pin 30. This lockingzirrn is also a bridge, as it eretends out through an opening 41 at the opposite side of the frame, as is shown in Fig.6, and the said locking-arm falls in a suitable notch 42 in the hammer and at such time holds the hammer cocked. I At the. forward end of the sear a head 43 is inwardly ofiset from the inner faceof the body 39 of the sear, having a downi wardly and rearwardly inclined face 44,

against which the spring 37 has bearing, the

said spring being located in a pocket 45 in the forward portion of the frame B, preferably in the forward connecting-block 17 ofv the frame, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

At the rear vertical face of the said sear-head 43 a transverse lug or shoulder 46 is formed,

adapted when the barrel is in its forward and firingposition'to engage with the forward end of the forwardly-directed hook extension 47 from the upper end of the trigger G as is shown in Fig- 1, so that at such time when the. trigger is drawn the sear'willbe forced forward, releasing the sear from the hammer and permittingthe hammer to be forced forward by the springv33 to strike the firing-pin Further, in the construction of thehead of the sear a recess 48.is made in the upper faceof the head 43, having an upwardlyand' rearwardly inclined rear wall, and at the in nor lower portion of the tubular SGOtIOiI Of the barrel extension A an inclined surface 49-is produced, which as the barrel and its extension move rearward under the influence of the recoil rides up the inclined rear wall of the recess in the head 43 of the sear, thus depressing said head and carrying the lug or shoulder on the head below the hook extension 47 of the trigger, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 4:, thereby preventing the trigger if pulled while the hreech-blockis open from acting on the sear. At such time the spring 37 isplaced under tension but the moment that the barrel and its extension are carried to their forward position by reason of the breech-block seating itself the head-section of the sear isfree to move upward and is forced upward and rearward by the spring 37, thereby bringing the lug or shoulder 46 on the sear-head in en-' gagement with the hook extension 47 of the trigger, again carrying these two parts in operative connection, as shown in Fig. 1. In explanation of the operation of the sear with respect to the hammer and the trigger it is remarked that as it is impossible for the hu-' man finger to release the pressure on the trigger quickly enough to allow the sear to catch the hammer during the automatic operation of the arm means must be provided whereby the sear may be automatically disengaged from the trigger at the moment of firing and allowed to move back and catch the hammer. For this purpose the front end or head of the sear, which engages the trigger, is capable of up-and-down motion in avertical direction, the rear or locking arm 40 acting as a pivot. When the pistol is cocked and ready to fire, the head of the sear, as stated, is in its upper position, held so by the sear-spring 37, which also exerts a pressure tothe rear, at which time the sear is in operative connection with .the trigger, and the hammer is released upon operating the trigger, WVhen the barrel recoils in firing, the head of the sear is driven down in the manner described and the sear and the trigger are carried out of possible engagement. The sear is then free to move back and catch the hammer while the trigger is yet being pulled. Upon releasing the trigger the head of the'sear again rises for operative engage-- ment with the trigger, which may now be drawn to fire the next shot.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame or handle, a barrel provided with an extension having a limited sliding movement on the frame or handle, and adapted to be moved rearwardly by the recoil in firing, a breechblock having sliding movement in the extension of the barrel and provided with means for looking it to the barrel extension when the breech-block is in the forward or closed position, and means for lifting and lowering the rear end of the breech-block to unlock the block from the barrel extension, or to lock it to the same, the said means being" pivot-ally connected with the frame or handle and with the rear of the breech-block, substantially as described.

2. In rapid-fire or automatic firearms, a frame or handle, a barrel provided with an extension having a limited sliding movement in the frame, the said extension having marginal side recesses, a breech-block having sliding movement in the said extension of the barrel and provided with projecting members adapted to enter the said recesses, and means pivotally connected with the rear end of the breech-block and with the saidframe, for lowering and lifting the rear end of the breechblock, whereby to bring the projecting members in locking engagement with the recessed portions of the extension and to remove said members from such locking engagement, as

specified. 3. In rapid-fire or automatic firearms, a

frame, a barrel having an extension provided with marginal side recesses, the said extension having a limited sliding movement in the frame, a breech-block having guided, sliding and pivotal movement in the said barrel extension at its forward end, abutment-s extending from opposite sides of the breech-block, adapted to enter the said recesses, and a lifting and supporting device pivoted to the rear end of the breech-block and to the said frame and arranged to direct the abutments to the said recesses and remove them therefrom.

4. In rapid-fire or automatic firearms, a frame, abarrel provided with an extension having limited sliding movement in the frame and adapted to be moved rearwardly by the recoil in firing, said barrel extension having recesses in the upper portions of its sides, a. breech-block having sliding movement in the barrel extension and p'ivot-supportsat its forward end, abutments extending from the sides of the breech-block, adapted in the forward or closed position of the block to enter the said recesses, and lifting and supporting links pivoted at the rear portion of the breechblook and to the frame, substantially as described.

5. In rapid-fire or automatic firearms, a frame, a barrel provided with an extension havinglimited sliding movement in the frame and adapted to be moved rearwardly by the recoil in firing, said barrel extension having recesses in the upper portion of its sides, a breech-block having sliding movement in the barrel extension and pivot-supports at its forward end, abutments extending from the sides of the breech-block, adapted in the forward or closed position of the block to enter the said recesses, lifting and supporting links pivoted to the rear portion of the breech-block and to the frame, and a tension device acting upon the said links to move the breech-block to closed position, substantially as described.

6.' In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame, a barrel, an extension from the barrel having sliding movement in the frame and provided {with interior longitudinal grooves and: rot

cesses in its-uppersidc edges, :1 breech-block, lugs laterally projecting from the forward side portions of the breech-block, adapted to enter the said grooves in the barrel extension, serving as guides to the breech-block during its forward and backward movement, and which also serve as pivots during the upand-down movement of the rear end of the breech-block, a laterally-projecting lockingabutment at each side of the breech-block between its ends, and which enter the recesses of the barrel extension and serve as means for locking the breech to the barrel when in its closed position, and supporting and lifting links for the-rear of the breech block, pivotally connected with said block and with-a fixed support below the block, as described.

7. In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame, a breech-block provided with forward pivotal guide-lugs,laterally-projectingabutments between its ends, and action-levers at the rear portion of the block, and connected with the frame, the said levers being adapted to lift the block, and a tension device acting upon the said levers to force the same forward and upward, as described.

8. In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame, a barrel, an extension from the barrel having sliding movement inthe frame, a handle for the frame, a breech-block mounted in the barrel extension, and having pivotal sliding support at its forward end, action-levers pivoted to the rear of the breech-block and to the frame, and a recuperative spring having bearing upon the lower portion of the actionlevers at one end, the said end being secured to a lower stationary pin or support and the opposite end being pivoted to the rear end of the breech-block, which levers serve during the initial motion of the barrel and breechblock to lift the rear end of the breech-block, and also serve during the final forward motion of the same to lower the rear end of the breech-block, and which levers further serve,

between the aforesaid motions, to impel the} breechblock forward after it has completed its travel to the rear, as set forth.

9, In a recoil-operated firearm, a sliding barrel extension and a frame supporting the same, a breech-bloek mounted to slide in the barrel extension, being free to rise and fall atits rear, a hammer in the frame, and action-levers pivoted to the rear of the breechblock, extending down at each side of the hammer, being pivoted at their lower ends in the frame by the pivot-pin for the hammer,

ward end of the sear serving to engage the sear with and to disengage it from the trigger. 11. In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame,a barrel having sliding movement in the frame, a hammer, a trigger having a forwardly-disposed upper hook extension, a scar movable longitudinally in the frame and adapted for up-and-down movement at its forward end, a locking-arm at one end of. the body of the sear, for engagement with the hammer, and a head at the opposite end of the body of the sear, adapted to be depressed by the barrel in its rearward movement, the said head having a member arranged for engagement with the extension of the trigger when the head of the sear rises, substantially as described.

12. In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame, a barrel having sliding movement in the frame, a hammer, atrigger having a forwardly-disposed upper hook extension, a scar movable longitudinally in theframe and adapted for up-and-down movement at its forward end, a locking-arm at one end of the, body of the sear for engagement with the hammer, and a head at the opposite end of the body of the sear, adapted to be depressed by the barrel in its rearward movement, the'said head having a member arranged for engagement/with the extension of the trigger when the head of the sear rises, substantially as described, and a spring carried by the frame, having lifting and pushing. action on the said head of the sear, as described.

13. In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame, a barrel having an extension, which extension is mounted to slide upon the frame, the said barrel extension having recesses in the upper edges of its sides, a breech-block held to slide in the barrel extension, having-opposing abutments adapted toenter the said recesses of the barrel extension, a catch on a.

side of the barrel extension which serves to hold the barrel in its recoiled position until the breech-block has shoved a cartridge into the barrel and closed the breech and the abutments are ready to fall into their respective recesses, and front guide-lugs on the breechbloek, one of which lugs is adapted to engage with the catch at the forward movement of the barrel and release the catch from looking engagement with the frame, as and for the purpose set forth.

' 14. In'a recoil-operated firearm, of the kind described, the combination with the frame or handle, the barrel provided with an extension having a limited sliding longitudinal move ment on the frame or handle under the inabutments may be dropped into or be lifted a from the said slots or recesses in the barrel extension, for the purpose of locking the breechblock to the barrel at the moment of explosion and unlocking it from the barrel after explosion', of a lever device pivotally attached at the upper forward end to the rear end of the breech-block and also pivotally connected at the lower rear end to the rear of the frame or handle, whereby when the barrel and extension carrying the breech-block move back- Ward limitedly upon the frame or handle they will thrustbackward upon the upper forward end of said lever device, causing said lever device to move upward and backward in the arc of acircle about its pivot in the frame or handle, thereby lifting the rear end of the breech-block to move its abutments out-of locked connection with the barrel extension,

, substantially asdescribed.

15. In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame or handle, a barrel pro'vided with anextension having'a limited sliding movement onthe frame or handle and adapted to be moved rearwardly by the recoil'in firing, a breechblock having sliding movementin the extension of the barrel, a locking connection between the breech-block and the barrel extension when the breech-block is in the forward or closed position, and means connected with the breech-block and the frame and actuated by the rearward movement of the barrel and its extension with the breech-block locked thereto, for unlocking the breech-block from the barrel extension,substantially as set 1 forth.

- 16.- In a recoil-operated firearm, a frame or handle, a barrel, an extension from the barrel having a limited sliding movement on the frame or handle and adapted to be jrnoved rearwardly by the recoilin firing, a breech.- block having longitudinal movement'in the lateral projections on the breech-block enga ing recesses 0r slots in the barrel extension to lock the breech-block to the barrel when the breech-block is in the forward or closed position, means connected with the frame and the said'breech-block and adapted to lift therear end of the breech-block to unlock the same from the barrel extension, thesaid means be-' ing actuated by the limited rearward move:

ment of the barrel with the breech -b1ock locked thereto, and atension device for re;-

storing the parts to position with the breechblock locked to the barrel extension, substan tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of witnesses.

.WILLIAM B.

-Witnesses:

JAMES GARVEY, v CATHERINE C. CASEY.

two subscribing KNOBLE. 

